A self-collecting substrate (10) for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy having a first surface (10a) and a second surface (10b) opposed thereto, comprising: a waveguiding layer (10′) supported on a support layer (10″), with the waveguiding layer associated with the first surface and the support layer associated with the second surface; and a plurality of metal nano-antennae (14) established on the first surface and operatively associated with the plurality of openings such that exposure of analyte (18) to the light causes preferential aggregation of the analystes in the vicinity of the nano-antennae. A system (50) for at least one of attracting the analytes 18) to the metal nano-antennae (14) and performing surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy using the substrate (10) and a method for increasing a signal for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy are provided.